Showerheads Meet WaterSense® Specification

INDIANAPOLIS - Delta Faucet Company announced in March 2010 that more than 50 percent of its Delta® bath suites feature showerheads and handshowers that meet the latest specification introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense®program on March 5, 2010 [1]. The new WaterSense criteria - established to promote water efficiency in the shower, product performance and quality - require that the showerhead flow at a rate of 2.0 gallons per minute (gpm) or less.

The company will continue to gain showerhead and handshower certifications for its bath suites. Of the 80 percent of Delta bath suites now meeting the new criteria, eight feature a showerhead with H2Okinetic Technology® that improves water efficiency by 40 percent, flowing at 1.5 gpm while providing the feel of an enhanced flow of 2.5 gpm. The Addison® showerhead with H2Okinetic Technology features a flow rate of 2.0 gpm, providing 20 percent water savings.

"Delta Faucet Company strives to provide products that address today's water conservation concerns without sacrificing the comfort and convenience of the user experience. Our water-efficient showerheads featuring H2Okinetic Technology, for instance, use larger droplets to create a drenching sensation and luxurious shower experience, while using less water," said Paul Patton, senior product development manager, research & development for Delta Faucet. "We take our role as a WaterSense partner very seriously and are committed to working with the EPA to encourage efficient use of water resources, and to actively protect the future of our nation's water supply."

In 2006, at the same time the EPA was initiating research on showerheads, Sally Remedios, manager of product compliance for Delta Faucet Company, approached the joint committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) to establish a Joint Harmonization Task Force to evaluate showerhead efficiency and performance, with the intent of developing new performance standards [2]. "As chair of the task force, my mission was to establish a set of criteria for showerheads that everyone would adhere to," said Remedios. "We opened the task force to public participation, which was comprised of showerhead manufacturers, water and energy utilities, testing laboratories, consultants and other water-efficiency and conservation specialists, including the California Energy Commission, which was pursuing new showerhead requirements at the time." In addition, the task force was able to engage with the EPA, which was developing its new WaterSense specification for showerheads, so that the adoption of harmonized requirements under both programs could benefit from the joint research.

According to the EPA, showering accounts for approximately 17 percent of residential indoor water use in the United States - adding up to more than 1.2 trillion gallons of water each year nationwide. Showerheads bearing the WaterSense label must not only save water, but also perform as well, or better, than conventional models on the market [3].

To earn the WaterSense designation, a showerhead or handshower must flow at a rate of no more than 2.0 gpm, tested at a flowing pressure of 80 pounds per square inch (psi), and is tested against the following attributes to ensure performance and user satisfaction:

A consistent flow rate across a range of pressures

Spray force

Spray coverage

About Delta Water-Efficient Showerheads:

Delta showerheads and handshowers that meet the WaterSense requirements use 20-40 percent less water than the industry standard [4]. In addition, Delta lavatory faucets that meet WaterSense requirements use 32 percent less water than the industry standard [5] and perform as well or better than their less efficient counterparts.

By installing a Delta water-efficient showerhead, the average four-person household can potentially save an estimated 10,000 gallons of water per year. Here's how it works:

Showerheads and handshowers that meet the WaterSense specification are now available on a number of the most popular Delta product lines and will continue to be the standard option with all new bath products introduced. Additionally, individual water-efficient showerhead and handshower components in the line coordinate with all Delta collections.